


The Worth of Gold (Compared to You)

by shutupfornothing



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Curses, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, The Golden Trio, draco has a kitten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 03:37:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19123783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shutupfornothing/pseuds/shutupfornothing
Summary: Draco Malfoy considers himself absolutely perfect. His father, however, is the epitome of “a little bit flawed.” His existence is made entirely up of selfishness, greed, and just being a dick. That’s how, at the stunning age of 10, Draco Malfoy becomes absolutely perfect... except for one minor fault. Everything he touches turns to gold. For Lucius Malfoy, his son’s newly discovered curse is a dream come true. For Draco, his life becomes a living hell. He learns the hard way (a minor incident with the peacocks in the gardens) that he is never going to be normal again.Just when Draco thinks things can’t get any worse, Harry Potter, the one and only “Savior of the Wizarding World” and “Golden Boy” (ironic, right?), has to crash into Draco’s life and destroy everything he thought he knew about himself.





	The Worth of Gold (Compared to You)

**Author's Note:**

> Let me just tell you now, this is going to be slow. I procrastinate like my life depends on it so don't expect anything to be written quickly. Sorry my dudes. I do really want to write this story though, so it will get finished. It just probably won't be in a reasonable amount of time. Nonetheless, if you still decide to start reading this, I hope you enjoy it!! - Lauren

There aren’t many people who would be considered worse than the Dark Lord. Draco Malfoy can list 11 off the top of his head (not including his extended family). It’s another Christmas holiday in the manor and Draco is once again pretending that he doesn’t want to take the first train back to Hogwarts and throw himself off the Astronomy tower. He really hates his family, one person in particular being his very own father, Lucius Malfoy. Now, don’t get him wrong, Draco loves his father, but he is an outstandingly awful person.

Around six years ago, on the morning of Draco’s 10th birthday, he had noticed a truly strange predicament. He was trapped in his bed sheets. He’d heard people use that phrase before when their sheets get tangled around their legs or they were tucked in too tight, but Draco was quite literally trapped. When he looked down, the only thing he saw was gold. All of his sheets had somehow been transfigured into pure, hard, uncomfortably cold gold. The next thing he knew he was crying and his mother, Narcissa Malfoy, had come running in. She tried every spell she could think of to change the sheets back, but nothing worked. Draco was stuck. His father ended up buying something the muggles called a “chainsaw” and cutting him out of bed that morning. He then proceeded to pick up as much of the gold he could carry and dance around Draco’s room while Narcissa tried her best to comfort her crying son.

The day that Draco turned 11, he got a letter inviting him to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that year, only, he couldn’t read it. As soon as Draco had touched the envelope, it had turned into gold. His father, being the greedy man he was, immediately ran around the house and gathered an arm-full of items for Draco to touch. One by one as Draco laid his hands on them, they all turned into gold. His father’s eyes shone brighter and brighter. His mother, being the sensible woman she was, pulled her husband out of reach before he could pick up his son in excitement.

“Lucius, love, you are aware that whatever our son touches is being turned to gold, right?”

Lucius looked at her with a wide smile and answered, “Yes. Isn’t it amazing? I could give him 1,000 hugs right now! We’re going to have an endless supply of money!”

At the mention of hugs, Draco ran forward and tried to wrap his arms around his parents, but Narcissa quickly pulled out her wand and stopped him in his tracks. She walked over to him and knelt down.

“Draco,” she began softly.

“Yes?” he answered questioningly. He didn’t understand why he was being stopped from hugging his parents.

“You can not touch us at all today, okay? If whatever is happening with you can affect living things, then we don’t want anybody to get hurt. Promise me that you will not touch anyone for the rest of the day.”

“I promise,” Draco answered proudly. He was always up for a challenge.

Five years later, Draco sits at the dining table in long, black gloves and makes idle conversation with distant family members that he doesn’t bother to learn the names of. His particular predicament at the moment is making sure his gloves stay on at all times. It had only gotten worse as time went on, and now Draco can’t go a day without accidentally turning something around him into gold if he forgets to put on his gloves when he wakes up.

His bed problem had been resolved quickly by his mother. She spent numerous nights in Knockturn Alley asking around for the strongest curse resistant spell she could find. Now, Draco’s bed frame is made completely of gold (his father insisted Draco touch it and make it “worthy of a king,” which, he assumed, is why he was also commanded Draco to touch his own  bed frame that same day). His mother put a permanent cushioning charm on the frame and the curse resistant spell on Draco’s single sheet and pillow. To this day she continues to apologize for not being strong enough for at least a second sheet. Draco never blamed her. She tried her best.

The annual holiday family dinner is, as always, dreadful. Draco prefers to never talk or think about them afterwards, so he quickly retires to his room once the last guest leaves. He sits down on his bed and immediately hears a bell softly ringing. He kneels down beside his bed and holds one of his (safely gloved) hands out. From under the bed, a small grey cat pokes its head out and rests it on top of Draco’s hand. “Hi, Calia,” he says, scratching her under her chin as a greeting. She lets out a soft purr and Draco picks her up and sets her on his bed.

The thing about Calia is, Draco’s parents don’t exactly know she exists. His mother always told him that he could not have a pet because of his “abnormality.” Draco thought that rule was utter shit. So far, Calia has survived two years with Draco and she looks healthier than ever.

Draco decides, since there are only 6 days left of holiday break, he will spoil her with as much attention as he can give her. Merlin knows how often the house elves play with her while he’s away at school. Calia usually spends all of her time locked up in Draco’s room, so he figures a nice walk by the forest’s edge in the morning will be a nice place to start.

 

-

 

If there is one thing Draco enjoys above all else, it’s silence. Taking Calia for a walk always manages to raise his spirits. As they stroll along listening to the breeze roll through the leaves on the trees, Draco begins to smile. It isn’t often that he gets to spend some quiet time alone. Of course, his entire mood shifts and dread begins to wash over him as he hears a voice coming from inside the forest. Calia pauses for a second and seems to take an interest in the new presence. The next thing Draco knows, she’s bolting into the forest as fast as her tiny legs can carry her. “Calia!” Draco shouts and sprints into the forest after her.

One minute he’s chasing his beloved cat into the forest and the next he’s laying in the dirt with what feels like a pile of bricks on top of his stomach.

“I can’t-” Draco attempts to speak up, but it comes out more like a breathless whisper. “Merlin... I can’t,” he pauses to catch his breath and put his hand on the crushing heap to push it off, “breathe!” Whatever it is doesn’t budge one bit. Draco, for the second time in his life, is utterly trapped. With a good bit of struggling and a stream of curse words, Draco is able to shove the thing off of him and properly assess the situation. Unconscious on the ground in front of him is none other than Harry Potter. To Draco’s surprise, Calia circles the boy who lived and, supposedly deciding she approves of him, jumps onto his chest and lays down. In this moment, Draco considers himself the most confused he has ever been in his life. Not knowing what to do and honestly too stunned to think of a plan, Draco sits and waits.

Eventually, Calia stands up and walks back over to Draco as Potter’s eyes slowly begin to open. Potter lets out a loud and disgruntled groan as he brings his hands up to his face and rubs his eyes. Draco (a little less than politely) clears his throat to alert Potter of his presence. The boy’s hands fall from his face as he tilts his head to the side and eyes Draco. As soon as his gaze lands on Calia, it softens and Draco can’t help but appreciate how lovely his features look when he’s smiling like that. It’s not every day that the famous Harry Potter graces someone like Draco Malfoy (well, Draco Malfoy’s cat) with his “dazzling and dreamy smile that could melt a cauldron,” or so Witch Weekly claimed.

Potter holds out his hand, and Calia happily prances back over to him. One would think that his cat hasn't received any attention from Draco with the way she was practically begging to be pet. When Draco holds out his hand to signal her back to him, he notices something distressing. One of his gloves has a rip in it. As Draco beings to throw himself into a panic, Potter decides that now is the best time to open his mouth.

“So, Malfoy. How’s life?” A simple, stupid question from a not-so-simple, stupid boy, and yet, Draco’s heart still skips a beat.

“A lot better before I was nearly trampled to death by the likes of you,” Draco answers, and Potter has the nerve to laugh at him.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” As he says this, Potter stands up and holds out his hand.

Draco just glares at him. “I will let you know, Potter, that I am perfectly capable of standing up on my own, thank you very much.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare doubt that, Malfoy, but it’s the least I can do since I’m the reason you’re on the ground in the first place.” Draco can feel the sarcasm.

As annoying as Potter’s existence is, Draco does not want to become a murderer. His family’s reputation is already bad enough. With his ripped glove, he must avoid touching Potter at all costs. Imagine the headlines if Harry Potter’s body is found turned to gold in the forest outside of Malfoy Manor.

“No, I’m perfectly fine on the ground. It is quite comfortable, actually.” It’s a terrible excuse, but he can’t come up with anything better while Potter’s looking at him with that smirk on his face.

“Come on, Malfoy. Stop being a prat and let me help you.”

“This is my last warning. Take one step closer and you won’t be taking any more steps after that.”

Potter mumbles something quietly under his breath before lunging at Draco and grabbing him by the arms. Without thinking, Draco flings his hands out to protect himself. It was instinctive, really, but that doesn’t stop Draco from screaming in horror when he realizes what he’s just done. He’s finally crossed a line now. He’s killed Harry Potter.

“Bloody  _ hell _ , Malfoy! What was that for? I was just trying to be nice. There’s no need to deafen me.”

Draco takes his hands off of Potter as quickly as possible. He looks angry, but alive, so Draco considers it a win.

“Oh, um, my apologies.” His mind is racing as he looks down, embarrassment coursing through him and heating his cheeks. Draco changes his mind right then and there. This moment, right now, is the most confused he has ever been in his life.


End file.
